I want to get input from the C&V group about a potential problem with the bars on the Centurion Ironman I recently acquired. The previous owner drilled two holes on each side of the bars (total four holes). They are 1/4 inch holes located 3 inches from the center, they are drilled one on the top and one directly underneath, on the bottom, on each side. The bars are Nitto, Olympiade all alloy with an alloy sleeve in the center.

My LBS was working on the bike and commented that this was a dangerous situation because the bars are alloy and they could fail, and the failure would be sudden. It should be noted that when I re-wrap the bars, these holes will be covered, so early stress detection will be limited to noticing a bend.

Is he correct? Is this an unsafe situation? These are really nice bars and I'd hate to toss them if its not necessary, but if they are not safe, then I will replace them.

Had it been only 1 hole per side, I would have kept them, and chanced it. But two, and opposing each other vertically, means it has two sources for a crack to propagate.
I'd toss the bar.
But if you insist on using it, then try to reinforce that spot. Try wrapping it with fiberglass and resin. It'll give you a fighting chance when the bar snaps. Since it's wrapped, you won't see the fiberglass and resin.

Yep. When it comes to parts I'm willing to risk sudden and catastrophic failure, bars and stems are pretty much last on the list. I would recycle those bad boys. You should be able to get 50 cents for them, which will get you halfway to a good beer.

Some bars were designed to be drilled. They'd start to crack before catastrophic failure and the sign of impending doom was a creak from the bars. If the bars creaked you got another set. If they didn't, you were okay.

I rode these until I got Ergo levers.

Bottom of middles (top bar). The holes were factory drilled/cut/whatever. The right hole is elongated so I could get both a brake cable and a shifter cable to come out of it:

Wow! Please let me know the name of this good beer that sells for a dollar. It better not be a Bud.

I get my favorite beer for $1.32 for a 500ml bottle, which comes out to just under $1 for 12oz. The beer is Zywiec Porter (http://www.zywiec.com.pl/#produkty/zywiec_porter, http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer...sp?BeerID=6561), which I highly recommend to any of you who haven't tried it. (This a part of my ongoing campaign to make this beer available at every bar, restaurant, liquor store, grocery store, convenience store and street corner in the country so that I never have to settle for anything else.)